Imani and her crew are trying to make it home with the knowledge that the King of Harrowland is coming to the Sahir to take over the Spice Tree which is what gives people magic in this world. Harrowlanders have been given a taste of magic, and they want more. Unlike Imani's people, the Harrowlanders didn't grow up being preached about the harmful effects of taking too much spice. And their greed is beginning to take control of them. Unfortunately, Imani's crew suffers a terrible blow early on which separates the crew. Taha and Amira, Imani's sister, get captured, Atheer gets injured, and Imani and Qayn have a lead that he might be able to get his magic back nearby. They have to follow that lead to its end.

Yet again, I have a few issues with this book. Without giving too much away, I felt Taha's response to Harrowland's takeover of the Sahir was weak. I understand he's a captive and he doesn't want to see unnecessary murder. I also know there was no way for the citizens of Qalia since they had no chance of winning. I guess there is a time and a place for biding your time to have a thought-out plan of attack. Yet, the surrender of village after village at Taha's urging didn't sit right with me. I also struggled with his feelings toward Imani. Taha deals with an extreme amount of guilt. He treated Imani poorly. He's lost members of his team to capture and even death. He takes both of those upon himself as personal failures. He disagreed with Atheer's desire to help the nations outside of the Sahir. Thus he wasted time and resources taking his time to come to the same conclusion that Atheer came to. And then, of course, the villages he's watched lay down their arms because he couldn't get home before being captured. He's a complex character with a lot going on below the surface.

One of the most successful parts of Spice Road for me was not knowing who to trust. And Maiya Ibrahim did a great job doing the same with Serpent Sea yet mostly different characters. Instead of unsure whether Qayn was trustworthy, I wondered if Taha was trustworthy. I pondered a little whether Qayn would switch sides when he got his magic back, but his stance solidified more and more as the book went on.

A bonus for Maiya Ibrahim and Serpent Sea was the timing. I didn't love switching POVs in this case, but telling Taha's story and Imani's the way she chose played out well.

The ultimate conflict felt a little anticlimactic for me. Actually, a good portion of the conflict seemed to be handled way too easily overall. If I have a big complaint, that's probably it. Some pieces of the puzzle seemed to happen too easily for our characters who had been struggling for so long.

Favorite quotes:
-This is how you become strong: by knowing where you are weak first.

-"Hasty decisions hasten ruin."

-"...being afraid to make mistakes is petrifying. If you obey that fear, you never get anything done."

-"It's easier to dismiss those who hurt us as being senselessly evil than it is to accept that all our actions are trees, and all trees stem from roots, and all roots stem from seeds. No living being in any land propagates unaided."

-"My father loves me," he whispers; the words sound so hollow in his ears. A tear rolls down Reza's face. "Let someone else love you, Taha, the real you, as I always have."

-"It's an opportunity to foster trust between us..."

-"You cannot kill what doesn't die."

-"We make quite the alliance, wouldn't you agree?" "Enthusiastically." ... "What other clever lessons do you have hidden away, hmm?" His black eyes gleam; his smile widens. "The likes of which you can only dream of. Then again, anything that you dream of having, I could give you. And anything that you dream of becoming, I could make you."

-"And who knows--I suppose you could win my heart if you put in some effort."

-The sea is an excellent liar.

-"Don't send me away after you return my magic..."

-"I am a reasonable man by choice, not nature. Choose carefully which face of mine you wish to confront."

-"I see I've impressed you," I say, not bothering to hide my self-satisfaction. "You've left me wanting more."

-Remember to swing with your heart.

-"Better to die than to bow."

-"It's love, not loss, that endures forever."

-"There is no justice in seeking retribution on people who didn't wrong me,"...

Serpent Sea gets 4 Stars from me. I had a few issues with things, but overall, I enjoyed the messages. There's still plenty to come for a book 3, which I'm here for. Have you read Serpent Sea? What did you think? Let me know!

I just want to preface this review by saying I rate this 4.5/5 stars!! I’ll explain why below…

As a huge fan of Spice Road, I knew I had to do WHATEVER it took to get my hands on this book as early as I could. I didn’t want to have to wait to find out what happens to Imani, Qayn, and Taha and all of the Sahir! I requested an ARC and was graciously given one and let me just say…WOW!!!!

This book was absolutely fantastic! Full of jaw-dropping moments, phenomenal character development, and a lot of world lore, this sequel to Spice Road had me crying and laughing and screaming.

The only reason I rate this book 4.5 and not 5 is because I felt that the beginning (perhaps up to the 50% mark) was a little slow. It seemed to drag a little and I kept hoping something more would happen with each page turn…and then it finally did.

And when it did…IT FREAKING DID!!!!

Maiya Ibrahim, whatever is going in your mind, I love it and I need more, more, more!!! The second half of this book was so enjoyable and really had me stopping, putting it down, and having to manually close my dropped jaw. How in the world am I supposed to wait for the third one now that I’ve read the second before it’s even published??? This is going to be agony.

Also, I just want to say—someone PLEASE give my boy Taha a break. He is constantly going through it and I genuinely felt so bad for him reading this…

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book!
Serpent Sea is the sequel to Spice Road and this is a highly anticipated sequel for me! It continues to story after Imani traveled to rescue her brother Atheer.

“I suppose there’s no good in dwelling on the past when we have the promise of the future.”

Beware of spoilers for the previous book!

We did Spice Road for the book club in August and had an author chat with Maiya at the end, where she surprised us with an eARC of Serpent Sea. The scream I let out after the book landed in my inbox was loud haha! I loved everything about Spice Road, loved it more after reading it a second time and couldn’t wait to dive into this book!

First off, TAHA POV!!! YAY!!! I already learned we would get a Taha POV in this book and it was everything and more! I should’ve expected the separation of Imani, since Taha POV gave us the other side of the adventure!

The direction this book went on was ABSOLUTELY INSANE! We knew already from the ending that they would go and try to find the jewels and restore Qayn’s magic. I loved the journey they took to complete that goal while also having the Harrowlander’s breathing down their backs! The tension and action and everything made this book so hard to put down! It did real a bit slower, having a slower pacing than Spice Road, but at the same time it was just as hard to put this book down! It was addicting in the best way!

The characters showed such great growth this book, it was insane! Especially as you know how high tensions were between them at the end of Spice Road. Imani showed great growth as she remained levelheaded in her actions, and I loved that. Taha struggles a lot in this book and seeing his POV and his perspective really opened my eyes to his inner demons. Qayn is even more delicious in this book than he was in the first!

The relationships really grew to the next level! I really shipped Taha and Imani in the first book and their chemistry is still there and is great, but OMG QAYN! He really is delicious, and he really stole my heart in this book! His chemistry with Imani really shown so brightly this book! Also, his banter with Taha was hilarious!

This book really has me in a chokehold and didn’t let me go. These characters gave been living rent free in my mind since January of 2023! This book started off with a bang and ending with an even bigger BANG! I loved everything with the Hunten and all that happened afterwards! The twists were big and jaw-dropping and the stress I had when reading the battle towards the end almost gave me permanent palpitations! It was honestly amazing in every way, and I think this book truly helped elevate the whole series to an even higher stage then it already was!

Overall, Serpent Sea is the perfect example of what I want in a sequel! Amazing dialogue, amazing plot, amazing characters paired with high-tension action! Just overall AMAZING!

4.25/5

Wonderful edition to the world. It is a little bit of 2nd book syndrome with a tad bit of info dump in the beginning to learn more about the world, magic, and the invaders. It's does have the adventure and story that I loved in the first towards the middle to end of the book. Also it builds on the relationship of Qayn and Imani along with Taha and Imani I love the complication that comes with those 3. It builds on Imani siblings and more into Taha's thoughts and mind set. It's a good second book and leaves you wanting the 3rd.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this e-arc. This is my honest opinion of the book.

This book was such an amazing follow up to the first book, Spice Road. We see a lot of action in this book, and it absolutely captivated me! I love the mission of the book, for the jewels of Qayn’s lost crown to restore his magic. Dual POVs are included from Imani and now Taha, mostly from Imani. This is such a wonderful, rich and atmospheric book that has unique magic, and even a slow burn enemies to maybe lovers romance. This series is beautiful and amazing.

Ok, so, when I came across this book in Netgalley, I'll admit I was interested in giving it a try (plus, isn't that cover just gorgeous). But, like last week's post, after getting a few chapters in, I just lost interest in it. And with the busy schedule I've had lately, I haven't had much time to get a lot of reading done. So, unfortunately, I'll have to table this book for now and finish it another time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an eArc of this book. “Serpent Sea” is the second installment in the Spice Road Trilogy by Maiya Ibrahim. It picks up right after the events of the first book. However, this second book adds another Pov which surprised me, but I then realized the importance of it to tie in with Imani’s pov. This tale is just as filled with adventure, family and romance! There is further world-building and explaining of the confounding magic system–all is not as it seems! The author will definitely keep you on your toes. The end of the book was unexpected and I suspect that book 3’s adventure will be an unforgettable ride!

3.5/5 ⭐️

Serpent Sea picks up soon after Spice Road ends and continues the immersive adventure we find ourselves in during book 1. As we continue to follow Imani, Taha, and their not quite so merry band of fighters, we learn even more about the world they occupy. I especially love the way Ibrahim uses the plot to unravel even more the lands outside of Qalia as well as the backstory to the world as a whole. It is one of the few second books that not only moves the story forward, but also deepens both the magical system and the world building. Imani’s growth and awareness around the way class impacts other people’s lives continues and it’s interesting to see how the impact of colonization becomes a part of that growth. If you enjoyed Spice Road, you’ll enjoy Serpent Sea and hopefully will also look forward to book 3.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s | Delacorte Press for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed Spice Road. It was a very unique story, with a magic system that I had never seen before. So, I was very excited to read Serpent Sea. Unfortunately, Serpent Sea seems to have fallen pray to the typical second book syndrome. The story jumped around in weird places that did not make sense, leading to many weird time jumps that didn’t seem possible. The redeeming factor was the characters growth, which continued from Spice Road in a beautiful way. I will admit, both endings made me think, “Really…” but, I’m sure I will still read the conclusion. If you enjoyed the Spice Road, definitely pick this up! 3⭐️

I quite enjoyed book one, Spice Road. I couldn’t wait to jump on this one and find out what happens next. I was hoping that there would be more in this book. Just more more more. And there certainly was!

This book picks up where the last one left off. Out of the sands and into the waters! The action is high, with a side of love triangle. There’s a new POV, lots of characters, new adventures and more monsters.

🌊 heavy on plot
🌊 strong character development
🌊 love triangle
🌊 monsters
🌊 slow burn

The overall vibes of the setting and the characters themselves are what drew me into these books. And I love the way the author represents them. Perfect for fans of the brass city books!

Spice Road was a beautiful and gripping five star fantasy about warrior Imani finding her brother. Serpent Sea is a sequel that surpasses it's predecessor in nearly every way. Even more intense action and unforgettable characters, I loved this book from the first page to the last. Please don't make us wait as long for the next one!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy to review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing sequel! I love the atmosphere of this world and loved every second of this book.

A wonderful continuation to a fascinating series! The lush worldbuilding and wonderful character interactions carry a marvelous story, one that left me on the edge of my seat the entire time! Can hardly wait for the final installment to bring this story to a close! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I've been waiting for this book for so long and good gravy! It didn't disappoint. My only beef with it is that I wanted MORE. I didn't want it to end, but also I had to know how it ended, and now I'm already back to suffering waiting for the next one.

Dazzling, wondrous, and bursting with magic, SERPENT SEA is fantasy perfection. It delivers all of the adventure and romance that made SPICE ROAD so unputdownable, and more. As far as I’m concerned, Maiya Ibrahim can do no wrong.

Yes yes and more yes! I was swept away by the first book- but the second has taken my heart. I am in love with this book from the writing styles to the characters.

I enjoyed the first book and, I enjoyed the second one as well. The characters are interesting; the plot was engaging. I will purchase this for my high school library.

I love the sense of magic and adventure in the author's novels. It really provides a vivid escape from the tortures of reality. Highly recommend for fans of adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book and it is a great follow up on book 1. This world is so interesting and I am glad to see it expanded. The characters are great and I enjoyed seeing the progression of their stories. I cannot wait for the third book to see where this story ends!

What a great book to follow up Spice Road! I loved Spice Road so I jumped on the opportunity to request this the second I seen it, and it did not disappoint.
This storyline was fast paced and I loved the dual POV we were given. I also enjoyed seeing how Imani and Taha’s relationship continued through their journey in Serpent Sea. Moving on to Qayn, he was a favorite of mine in book one so it was nice getting to learn a bit more about him in book two.